SCOTUS to Hear Case of Rastafarian Whose Dreadlocks Were Shaved by Prison Guards
The Supreme Court has agreed to hear the appeal of Damon Landor, a former Louisiana inmate whose dreadlocks were forcibly shaved by prison guards, allegedly violating his religious beliefs as a Rastafarian. Landor sought damages under a federal law protecting prisoners’ religious rights, but lower courts dismissed the case, citing the law’s limitations on monetary claims. The Supreme Court will now review the appellate ruling, considering arguments that align with a previous decision concerning religious freedom under a similar statute. The case, *Landor v. Louisiana Department of Corrections*, will be argued in the fall.
John Q. Hosedrinker